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Kardiac Kids started 0-2
By Steve King, Contributor to ClevelandBrowns.com

Posted 16 hours ago

Before the last-minute comebacks and nailbiters, the Kardiac Kids started out 0-2 following a loss to Earl Campbell and the Houston Oilers.

EDITOR’S NOTE: In honor of this being the 30th anniversary of the 1980 Kardiac Kids, the following is the second in a series chronicling the Browns games that season. This one focuses on the Week 2 contest against the Houston Oilers on Sept. 15 at Cleveland.

The Browns came out of their disappointing 34-17 season-opening loss to the New England Patriots knowing they had to improve -- drastically -- on both offense and defense.

And they did get better in their next game eight days later when they met the Houston Oilers on Monday Night Football in their home opener. While making big strides on defense, they still didn’t do much on offense, and when you put it all together, the result was an ugly, embarrassing 16-7 loss before 80,243 fans at Cleveland Stadium as well as a national TV audience.

The Browns were by no means dominant on defense against the Oilers, giving up a whopping 192 yards on the ground, including 106 in just 18 carries to Earl Campbell, and allowing quarterback Ken Stabler to complete 23-of-28 passes for 187 yards.

While the Browns surrendered plenty of yards -- a total of 369 -- they didn’t allow many points. The Oilers scored just one touchdown and three field goals.

Offensively, though, the Browns didn’t get many yards or points. They got just 181 yards overall, less than half of Houston’s total. That included only 75 yards rushing and 106 passing as Brian Sipe hit on less than half of his attempts, just 12-of-25. He threw for one TD and was intercepted once.

A paltry seven points wasn’t going to beat any team in an NFL where the rules were constantly being changed to allow for more scoring.

More important, however, than the points or yards, was the fact the Browns were 0-2 and quickly digging a big hole for themselves. Their dreams of picking up right where they left off in 1979 and having a breakout season were fading away.

The Browns actually led in the game 7-0, completing an eight-play, 57-yard drive when Sipe threw a three-yard TD pass to running back Calvin Hill just 1:19 into the second quarter.

Things looked good at that point, but they went downhill from there.

The Oilers came back nine minutes later to close their deficit to 7-3 at halftime on a 25-yard field goal by Toni Fritsch.

Houston took the second-half kickoff and drove 67 yards in 10 plays for its lone TD on a two-yard run by fullback Tim Wilson to get the lead at 10-7.

The Oilers scored again the next time they got the ball, getting another Fritsch field goal from 29 yards just 49 seconds into the fourth quarter to go up 13-7.

Making it 3-for-3 scoring-wise in the second half, the Oilers also tallied on their following possession with a 17-yard Fritsch field goal to increase their advantage to 16-7 with 4:14 remaining.

It was a moral victory for the Browns, who kept the Oilers out of the end zone after they had driven to a first down at the Cleveland 1. Rob Carpenter was stuffed for no gain three consecutive times on runs up the middle.

The Browns tried to come back, driving to a first down at the Houston 44, but Sipe’s third-down pass for wide receiver Reggie Rucker was intercepted by former Ohio State star Jack Tatum with 3:02 left, sealing the win for the Oilers.

To make matters even worse for the Browns, starting right cornerback Lawrence Johnson was lost for the season when he fractured his shoulder.

Beaten and bruised on the scoreboard, physically and emotionally, the Browns were in desperate need of some good news -- a little pick-me-up, if you will.

They got it -- at least it was intended as such -- when coach Sam Rutigliano asked his players in the oh, so quiet locker room afterward, “What would you think of running the table, winning the next 14 games and going 14-2?”

Yeah, right. That sounded very good -- it would be more than nice -- but there seemed to be no chance of that happening.

More immediately, the Browns just needed a win. However, the way things were going, there was no guarantee of that occurring.

The Kardiac Kids had the best QB in the NFL that year, a legit WR in Dave Logan, and a HOF TE in the midst of his prime in Ozzie Newsome. They also had five legit offensive linemen.

SO...yeah, King can go back to his writing pad.

These are not the Kardiac Kids.

lol.. i never saw the Kardiac Kids play, and I know that..

Ummm, check out those losses. This team is horrible compared to that talent. And the QB made much of the magic happen. And it wasn't with this set of receivers and pass patterns.

well, we have stayed close to the other team into the last quarter.

Other than that, no resemblance

The game was different then too, in a lot of ways. There shouldn't be any comparisons made, or excuses levied. Yesterday was just that -- long ago.

These were two very, very winnable games. It does not look like we have moved forward at all.

Somebody please change my outlook here -- and the team might still become them THIS year -- but relying on the historical 0-2 start of The Kardiac Kids is not going to sweeten this cupcake.

LOL! I could just picture Mangini telling the team yesterday that we're going to run the table to 14-2.

Agree on that,...! Sam was emotionally believeable. Mangini,...who knows.

the Kardiac Kids also played at the Muni....For those who experianced it u know what i mean... comparing a Kardiac experiance to a bloated belly full of gas

I couldn't get there that year,... but many of their games were on national TV, IIRC.

You know who else started 0-2? The 0-16 Detroit Lions, and with our schedule, we'll be much closer to that than the Kardiac Kids.

Quote:

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I thought the Lions started out 1-1 before finishing at 0-16?

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Your point? This team is nowhere close to those teams. And that is a fact.

Cleveland Browns are 0-2 for 12th time in team history; finished with at least 11 losses 8 times
Published: Tuesday, September 21, 2010, 7:26 AM Updated: Tuesday, September 21, 2010, 12:49 PM
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Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer Browns coach Eric Mangini reacts to a call during the fourth quarter of Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Browns became 0-2 with the 16-14 loss.
By Mike Peticca

Plain Dealer Reporter

Cleveland, Ohio -- Counting their four seasons (1946-49) in the All-America Conference and, of course, not counting the three seasons (1996-98) after the original team's move to Baltimore, the Cleveland Browns are in their 62nd season.

The Browns are 0-2 after losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 17-14, and the Kansas City Chiefs, 16-14.

Remarkably, the Browns began each of their first 21 seasons (1946-66) with at least one win in their first two games. Not coincidentally, it was during that era that the team established its winning reputation -- a reputation that has diminished over, almost, the last four decades.

This is the 12th season in which the Browns have lost at least their first 12 games.

A capsule look at the first 11:

1967

Final record: 9-5, won NFL Century Division, lost at Dallas Cowboys, 52-14, in divisional playoff game.

25
1
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Share Coach: Blanton Collier

Quarterback: Frank Ryan

First-game loss: 21-14 to Dallas. Browns' running backs Leroy Kelly and Ernie Green were held to 15 combined yards in 16 carries, while the Cowboys' Dan Reeves ran for 114 yards in 18 carries.

Second-game loss: 31-14 at Detroit Lions. Detroit quarterback Milt Plum -- the Browns' starter from 1957-61 -- completed 16 of 27 passes for 229 yards and a touchdown.

First win: After 0-2 start, 42-7 win at New Orleans Saints. Browns QB Frank Ryan threw two touchdown passes to Paul Warfield and one to Ernie Green, and Leroy Kelly ran for 110 yards and a TD.

1975

Final record: 3-11

Coach: Forrest Gregg

Quarterback: Mike Phipps

First-game loss: 24-17 at Cincinnati Bengals. Gregg's first game as Browns coach, going against the team he would coach to the 1981 AFC title. Bengals QB Ken Anderson was 17 of 27 for 287 yards and a TD.

Second-game loss: 42-10 to Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota QB Fran Tarkenton threw for two TDs and ran for another.

First win: After 0-9 start, 35-23 win over Cincinnati. Bengals came into Cleveland with an 8-1 record, but Browns QB Mike Phipps was 23 of 36 for 298 yards and two touchdowns.

1980

Final record: 11-5, won AFC Central Division, lost to Oakland Raiders, 14-12, in divisional playoff game.

Coach: Sam Rutigliano

Quarterback: Brian Sipe

First-game loss: 34-17 at New England Patriots. QB Steve Grogan was 17 of 26 for 277 yards and three Patriots TDs.

Second-game loss: 16-7 to Houston Oilers. QB Ken Stabler was 23 of 28 passing and Earl Campbell pounded 106 rushing yards as Houston controlled the football.

First win: After 0-2 start, 20-13 win over Kansas City Chiefs. Browns QB Brian Sipe was 23 of 36 for 295 yards and two TDs, including the 31-yard game-winner to RB Charles White, who totaled 159 receiving and rushing yards.

1981


Plain Dealer file photoBrian Sipe and the Browns rallied from an 0-2 start in 1980, but couldn't duplicate the feat a year later.
Final record: 5-11

Coach: Sam Rutigliano

Quarterback: Brian Sipe

First-game loss: 44-14 to San Diego Chargers. Browns had no chance at stopping Chargers QB Dan Fouts (19 of 25, 330 yards, three TDs), RB Chuck Muncie (161 rushing yards) and wide receiver Charlie Joiner (six catches, 191 yards).

Second-game loss: 9-3 to Houston. Browns defense held Houston to 222 yards, but Brian Sipe was 25 of 53 passing.

First win: After 0-2 start, 20-17 win at Cincinnati. Sipe bounced back to complete 24 of 35 passes for 259 yards and a TD to Ozzie Newsome.

1984

Final record: 5-11

Coach: Sam Rutigliano (with a 1-7 record, replaced by Marty Schottenheimer)

Quarterback: Paul McDonald

First-game loss: 33-0 at Seattle Seahawks. With Sipe nudged out of town and to the United States Football League, replacement Paul McDonald was 8 of 27 with two interceptions.

Second-game loss: 20-17 at Los Angeles Rams. McDonald was 18 of 35 for 263 yards and a TD, but Rams rallied for 10 fourth-quarter points.

First win: After 0-3 start, 20-10 win over Pittsburgh Steelers. McDonald (15 of 28, 293 yards, two TDs) easily won the QB dual over Pittsburgh QB David Woodley (9 of 25).

1992

Final record: 7-9

Coach: Bill Belichick

Quarterback: Bernie Kosar (replaced because of injury for several games by Mike Tomczak)

First-game loss: 14-3 at Indianapolis Colts. Behind poorly-conceived offensive line, Browns QB Bernie Kosar was sacked 11 times, including four times by controversial former Browns linebacker Chip Banks.

Second-game loss: 27-23 to Miami Dolphins. Browns overcame 20-3 deficit and went ahead, 23-20, on 3-yard Kosar to tight end Mark Bavaro touchdown pass with 1:18 left. Dolphins QB Dan Marino then led an 84-yard drive, capped by Mark Higgs' 1-yard TD plunge with seven seconds left.

First win: After 0-2 start, 28-16 win at Los Angeles Raiders. Kosar had broken an ankle in the Miami game. RB Eric Metcalf scored all four Browns touchdowns, including three on passes from QB Todd Philcox -- Kosar's short-term replacement.

1999

Final record: 2-14

Coach: Chris Palmer

Quarterback: Ty Detmer (replaced by Tim Couch late in season opener)

First-game loss: 43-0 to Pittsburgh. The first game for the new Browns franchise. Steelers totaled 460 yards and 32 first downs to the Browns' 40 yards and two first downs.

Second-game loss: 26-9 at Tennessee Titans. QB Tim Couch, the first college draft pick of the expansion Browns and making his first start, was 12 of 24 for 134 yards and a TD, but Titans QB Neil O'Donnell was 31 of 40 for 310 yards and a TD.

First win: After 0-7 start, 21-16 win at New Orleans. Tim Couch, who finished 11 of 19 for 193 yards and three TDS, threw the football as far and high as he could, he said, on the game's final play, and after two Saints deflected it, Browns WR Kevin Johnson caught it in the end zone for the game-winner.

2003


John Kuntz, The Plain DealerEnd Courtney Brown (right) and the Browns defense contained Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (left), but the Browns offense failed in a 9-6, 2003 season-opening loss.
Final record: 5-11

Coach: Butch Davis

Quarterback: Kelly Holcomb/Tim Couch

First-game loss: 9-6 to Indianapolis. Colts QB Peyton Manning and Browns QB Kelly Holcomb both threw two interceptions and no TD passes. Mike Vanderjagt's 45-yard field goal with one second left won it for Indianapolis.

Second-game loss: 33-13 at Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore running back Jamal Lewis shredded the Browns defense for 295 yards and two touchdowns in 30 carries, the second-best yardage total in NFL history.

First win: After 0-2 start, 13-12 win at San Francisco 49'ers. Holcomb endured ankle and leg injuries to complete 17 of 20 passes on two fourth quarter touchdown drives, throwing the game-winning TD pass of 11 yards to WR Andre Davis with 29 seconds left.

2006

Final record: 4-12

Coach: Romeo Crennel

Quarterback: Charlie Frye/Derek Anderson

First-game loss: 19-14 to New Orleans. QB Charlie Frye was sacked five times, fled for his safety several other times and led the Browns with 44 desperation rushing yards.

Second-game loss: 34-17 at Cincinnati. Bengals QB Carson Palmer was 24 of 40 for 352 yards and two TDs, and Rudi Johnson ran for 145 yards and two TDs.

First win: After 0-3 start, 24-21 win at Oakland. Browns overcame a 21-3 lead against the winless Raiders, as Charlie Frye threw TD passes to Darnell Dinkins, Kellen Winslow and Joe Jurevicius.

2008

Final record: 4-12

Coach: Romeo Crennel

Quarterback: Derek Anderson

First-game loss: 28-10 to Dallas. Browns WR Braylon Edwards set the tone for the season, dropping an early would-be touchdown pass from QB Derek Anderson. The Cowboys' offense totaled 487 yards.

Second-game loss: 10-6 to Pittsburgh. Steelers held Browns RB Jamal Lewis to 38 yards in 19 carries. Trailing, 10-3, with 3:21 left and a fourth-and-seven play loomingat the Pittsburgh 21, Browns coach Romeo Crennel had Phil Dawson kick a 38-yard field goal, leaving the Browns still in need of a touchdown. They got the ball back with 26 seconds left on their own 26.

First win: After 0-3 start, 20-12 win at Cincinnati. Browns caught a break, as Bengals QB Carson Palmer was sidelined with an inflamed throwing (right) elbow. His replacement, Ryan Fitzpatrick, was 21 of 35 passing, but for just 156 yards with three INTs.

2009


Associated PressThe Vikings' Adrian Peterson (28) on his way to a 64-yard TD run during Minnesota's 34-20, 2009 season-opening win over the Browns.
Final record: 5-11

Coach: Eric Mangini

Quarterback: Brady Quinn/Derek Anderson

First-game loss: 34-20 to Minnesota. Vikings RB Adrian Peterson rambled for 180 and three touchdowns, including a 64-yard romp over, through and past an embarrassed Browns defense.

Second-game loss: 27-6 at Denver Broncos. Browns were outgained, 449 yards to 200.

First win: After an 0-4 start, 6-3 win at Buffalo Bills. Browns won despite Derek Anderson completing just 2 of 17 passes for 23 yards. His receivers had nine drops. Buffalo was whistled for nine false start penalties. A seven-play, 15-yard Browns drive was capped by Billy Cundiff's game-winning 18-yard field goal with 23 seconds left.


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